Santa Brígida de Suiza

St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) July 23

St. Bridget of Sweden (also known as Birgitta or Birgit of Sweden) was born in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1303 into a pious family to Ingmar and Birger Petersson. Her father, although a very rich man, was also very devout. He went to confession every Friday and made long and strenuous religious pilgrimages including the one to the Holy Land. Her mother was a member of the same clan as the royal family but she died when Birgitta was only ten years old. The children were then sent to their maternal aunt who was to take care of them.

Birgitta received a careful religious training and from an early age had visions and illuminations. Once in her dreams she saw The Man of Sorrows. When she asked who had done that to him, he answered: All those who despise my love. The effect of this very vivid dream made a strong impact on Birgitta and never left her. She also had a vision of Our Lady placing the crown on her head when she was only 7.

It was customary in the Middle Ages to marry very young and so did Birgitta. At the age of 13 or 14 she was married against her inclination but in obedience to the will of her earthly father to Ulf Gudmarsson who was then 18. Ulf was a noble and a pious man and their marriage was a happy one. It lasted for 28 years after which Ulf died. Birgitta said after his death that she loved him like her own body. They had 8 children, 4 boys and 4 girls, all of which survived infancy, which was rare at that time. One of their daughters is St. Catherine of Sweden.

During her married life, St. Bridget lived at the court of the Swedish king Magnus II. Bridget constantly tried to exert her good influence over Magnus. He never really reformed but he gave Bridget some land which she used to found a monastery, mainly for women, which turned into the Order of St. Savior (Ordo Santicissimi Salvatoris), also known as Brigittines. As a widow, almost as soon as she started work on her religious order, Christ appeared to her and told her to go to Rome. In 1349 she went there. She was to wait there for the Pope to return from Avignon, France. She stayed in Rome for the rest of her life doing charity work and giving messages to church officials and other important political figures which she received in her visions. Her visions, which are known under the title Revelations, were written down during her lifetime but she never wrote in the first person, saying that the messages she received come from the Most Holy One. The rest of the time she lived a pious and charitable life, urging others to do the same.

She lived a life of prayer and fasting. It is said of her that she was kind and meek to every creature and that she had a laughing face. She was also strong and full of courage, especially in urging people to live holy lives so to some she seemed too strict and was either loved or hated in Sweden and Rome. Nothing she set out to do during her life was completely realized, for example, the Pope did not return to Rome while she was there and she never returned to Sweden. In that regard she could be called the Patroness of Failures. In this, she was like her Savior who was also thought of as being a failure while hanging on the cross. She died in Rome in 1373 and was canonized soon afterwards, in 1391. In that way, she turned out to be a very successful failure.

She is the Patroness of Sweden and was also pronounced co-patroness of Europe along with St. Benedict, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Edith Stein. Her feast day is July 23.

The most famous devotion to St. Bridget is The 15 Prayers of St. Bridget, which are prayed for one year. There is another, probably less known devotion, called The 7 Prayers of St. Bridget, which are to be prayed for the whole 12 years. For the persistent ones, here is the 12-year devotion.

Tonia,

Teacher , Croatia

Prayers

The 7 Prayers of St. Bridget

Opening Prayer – O Jesus, now I wish to pray the Lord’s Prayer seven times in unity with the love with which You sanctified this prayer in Your Heart. Take it from my lips into Your Divine Heart. Improve and complete it so much that it brings as much honor and joy to the Trinity as You granted it on earth with this prayer. May these pour upon Your Holy Humanity in Glorification to Your Painful Wounds and the Precious Blood that You spilled from them.

1st Prayer – The Circumcision: Pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary

Eternal Father, through Mary’s unblemished hands and the Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You the first wounds, the first pains, and the first Bloodshed as atonement for my and all of humanity’s sins of youth, as protection against the first mortal sin, especially among my relatives.

2nd Prayer – The Suffering on the Mount of Olives: Pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary

Eternal Father, through Mary’s unblemished hands and the Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You the terrifying suffering of Jesus’ Heart on the Mount of Olives and every drop of His Bloody Sweat as atonement for my and all of humanity’s sins of the heart, as protection against such sins and for the spreading of Divine and brotherly Love.

3rd Prayer – The Flogging: Pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary

Eternal Father, through Mary’s unblemished hands and the Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You the many thousands of Wounds, the gruesome Pains, and the Precious Blood of the Flogging as atonement for my and all of humanity’s sins of the Flesh, as protection against such sins and the preservation of innocence, especially among my relatives.

4th Prayer – The Crowning of Thorns: Pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary

Eternal Father, through Mary’s unblemished hands and the Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You the Wounds, the Pains, and the Precious Blood of Jesus’ Holy Head from the Crowning with Thorns as atonement for my and all of humanity’s sins of the Spirit, as protection against such sins and the spreading of Christ’s kingdom here on earth.

5th Prayer – The Carrying of the Cross: Pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary

Eternal Father, through Mary’s unblemished hands and the Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You the Sufferings on the way of the Cross, especially His Holy Wound on His Shoulder and its Precious Blood as atonement for my and all of humanity’s rebellion against the Cross, every grumbling against Your Holy Arrangements and all other sins of the tongue, as protection against such sins and for true love of the Cross.

6th Prayer – The Crucifixion: Pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary

Eternal Father, through Mary’s unblemished hands and the Divine Heart of Jesus, I offer You Your Son on the Cross, His Nailing and Raising, His Wounds on the Hands and Feet and the three streams of His Precious Blood that poured forth from these for us, His extreme tortures of the Body and Soul, His precious Death and its non-bleeding Renewal in all Holy Masses on earth as atonement for all wounds against vows and regulations within the Orders, as reparation for my and all of the world’s sins, for the sick and the dying, for all holy priests and laymen, for the Holy Father’s intentions toward the restoration of Christian families, for the strengthening of Faith, for our country and unity among all nations in Christ and His Church, as well as for the Diaspora.

7th Prayer – The Piercing of Jesus’ Side: Pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary

Eternal Father, accept as worthy, for the needs of the Holy Church and as atonement for the sins of all Mankind, the Precious Blood and Water which poured forth from the Wound of Jesus’ Divine Heart. Be gracious and merciful toward us. Blood of Christ, the last precious content of His Holy Heart, wash me of all my and others’ guilt of sin! Water from the Side of Christ, wash me clean of all punishments for sin and extinguish the flames of Purgatory for me and for all the Poor Souls. Amen.

Our Lord Made 5 Promises to St. Bridget

Our Lord made these 5 Promises to anyone who recited/prayed these prayers daily for 12 entire years. If the soul praying these prayers dies before the entire 12 years of prayers have been completed, the Lord will accept them as having been prayed in their entirety, because the intention of the soul was to complete them as directed. If a day or a few days are missed due to a valid reason, they can be made up for later, at the soul’s earliest opportunity.

1. The soul who prays them will suffer no Purgatory.
2. The soul who prays them will be accepted among the Martyrs as though he had spilled his blood for his faith.
3. The soul who prays them can choose three others whom Jesus will then keep in a state of grace sufficient to become holy.
4. No one in the four successive generations of the soul who prays them will be lost.
5. The soul who prays them will be made conscious of his death one month in advance.

THE 15 PRAYERS FOR 1 YEAR

These prayers are in honor to each single wound that our Lord received on His way to Clavary.

The following promises apply to all those that in 1 year will recite the following orations.

Promises of our Lord:

1.	I will deliver 15 souls of his lineage from Purgatory.
2.	15 souls of his lineage will be confirmed and preserved in grace.
3.	15 sinners of his lineage will be converted.
4.	Whoever recites these Prayers will attain in the first degree of perfection.
5.	15 days before his death I will give him My Precious Body in order that he may escape eternal starvation; I will give him My Precious Blood to drink lest he thirst eternally.
6.	15 days before his death he will feel a deep contrition for all his sins and will have a perfect knowledge of them.
7.	I will place before him the sign of My Victorious Cross for his help and defense against the attacks of his enemies.
8.	Before his death I shall come with My Dearest Beloved Mother.
9.	I shall graciously receive his soul, and will lead it into eternal joys.
10.	And having led it there I shall give him a special draught from the fountain of My Deity, something I will not for those who have not recited My Prayers.
11.	Let it be known that whoever may have been living in the state of mortal sin for 30 years, but who will recite devoutly, or have the intention to recite these Prayers, the Lord will forgive him all his sins.
12.	I shall protect him from strong temptations.
13.	I shall preserve and guard his 5 senses.
14.	I shall preserve him from a sudden death.
15.	His soul will be delivered from eternal death.
16.	He will obtain all he asks for from God and the Blessed Virgin.
17.	If he has lived all his life doing his own will and he is to die the next day, his life will be prolonged.
18.	Every time one recites these Prayers he gains 100 days indulgence.
19.	He is assured of being joined to the supreme Choir of Angels.
20.	Whoever teaches these Prayers to another, will have continuous joy and merit which will endure eternally.
21.	There where these prayer are being said or will be said in the future God is present with His grace.

First Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus Christ! Eternal Sweetness to those who love Thee, joy surpassing all joy and all desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who hast proved that Thou hast no greater desire than to be among men, even assuming human nature at the fullness of time for the love of men, recall all the sufferings Thou hast endured from the instant of Thy conception, and especially during Thy Passion, as it was decreed and ordained from all eternity in the Divine plan.

Remember, O Lord, that during the Last Super with Thy disciples, having washed their feet, Thou gavest them Thy Most Precious Body and Blood, and while at the same time Thou didst sweetly console them, Thou didst foretell them Thy coming Passion.

Remember the sadness and bitterness which Thou didst experience in Thy Soul as Thou Thyself bore witness saying: “My Soul is sorrowful even unto death.”

Remember all the fear, anguish and pain that Thou didst suffer in Thy delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion, when, after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, Thou wast betrayed by Judas, Thy disciple, arrested by the people of a nation Thou hadst chosen and elevated, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by three judges during the flower of Thy youth and during the solemn Paschal season.

Remember that Thou wast despoiled of Thy garments and clothed in those of derision; that Thy Face and Eyes were veiled, that Thou wast buffeted, crowned with thorns, a reed placed in Thy Hands, that Thou was crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and outrages.

In memory of all these pains and sufferings which Thou didst endure before Thy Passion on the Cross, grant me before my death true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, worthy satisfaction and the remission of all my sins. Amen

Second Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! True liberty of angels, Paradise of delights, remember the horror and sadness which Thou didst endure when Thy enemies, like furious lions, surrounded Thee, and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations and other unheard-of-cruelties, tormented Thee at will. In consideration of these torments and insulting words, I beseech Thee, O my Savior, to deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring me, under Thy protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation. Amen

Third Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Creator of Heaven and earth Whom nothing can encompass or limit, Thou Who dost enfold and hold all under Thy Loving power, remember the very bitter pain Thou didst suffer when the Jews nailed Thy Sacred Hands and Feet to the Cross by blow after blow with big blunt nails, and not finding Thee in a pitiable enough state to satisfy their rage, they enlarged Thy Wounds, and added pain to pain, and with indescribable cruelty stretched Thy Body on the Cross, pulled Thee from all sides, thus dislocating Thy Limbs. I beg of Thee, O Jesus, by the memory of this most Loving suffering of the Cross, to grant me the grace to fear Thee and to Love Thee. Amen.

Fourth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross to heal our wounds with Thine, remember the bruises which Thou didst suffer and the weakness of all Thy Members which were distended to such a degree that never was there pain like unto Thine. From the crown of Thy Head to the Soles of Thy Feet there was not one spot on Thy Body that was not in torment, and yet , forgetting all Thy sufferings, Thou didst not cease to pray to Thy heavenly Father for Thy enemies, saying “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Through this great Mercy, and in memory of this suffering, grant that the remembrance of Thy Most Bitter Passion may effect in us a perfect contrition and the remission of all our sins. Amen.

Fifth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Mirror of eternal splendor, remember the sadness which Thou experienced, when contemplating in the light of Thy Divinity the predestination of those who would be saved by the merits of Thy Sacred passion, Thou didst see at the same time, the great multitude of reprobates who would be damned for their sins, and Thou didst complain bitterly of those hopeless lost and unfortunate sinners.

Through this abyss of compassion and pity, and especially through the goodness which Thou displayed to the good thief when Thou saidst to him: “This day, thou shalt be with Me in paradise.” I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, that at the hour of my death, Thou wilt show me mercy. Amen.

Sixth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Beloved and most desirable King, remember the grief Thou didst suffer, when naked and like a common criminal, Thou was fastened and raised on the Cross, when all Thy relatives and friends abandoned Thee, except Thy Beloved Mother, who remained close to Thee during Thy agony and whom Thou didst entrust to Thy faithful disciple when Thou saidst to Mary: “Woman, behold thy son!” and to St. John: “Son, behold thy Mother!”

I beg of Thee O my Savior, by the sword of sorrow which pierced the soul of Thy holy Mother, to have compassion on me in all my affliction and tribulations, both corporal and spiritual, and to assist me in all my trials, and especially at the hour of my death. Amen

Seventh Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Inexhaustible Fountain of compassion, Who by a profound gesture of Love, said from the Cross: “I thirst!” suffered from the thirst for the salvation of the human race. I beg of Thee O my Savior, to inflame in our hearts the desire to tend toward perfection in all our acts; and to extinguish in us the concupiscence of the flesh and the ardor of worldly desires. Amen

Eighth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Sweetness of hearts, delight of the spirit, by the bitterness of the vinegar and gall which Thou didst taste on the Cross for Love of us, grant us the grace to receive worthily Thy Precious Body and Blood during our life and at the hour of our death, that they may serve as a remedy and consolation for our souls. Amen

Ninth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Royal virtue, joy of the mind, recall the pain Thou didst endure when, plunged in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of death, insulted, outraged by the Jews, Thou didst cry out in a loud voice that Thou was abandoned by Thy Father, saying: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?”

Through this anguish, I beg of Thee, O my Savior, not to abandon me in the terrors and pains of my death. Amen

Tenth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Who art the beginning and end of all things, life and virtue, remember that for our sakes Thou was plunged in an abyss of suffering from the soles of Thy Feet to the crown of Thy Head. In consideration of the enormity of Thy Wounds, teach me to keep, through pure love, Thy Commandments, whose way is wide and easy for those who love Thee. Amen

Eleventh Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Deep abyss of mercy, I beg of Thee, in memory of Thy Wounds which penetrated to the very marrow of Thy Bones and to the depth of Thy being, to draw me, a miserable sinner, overwhelmed by my offenses, away from sin and to hide me from Thy Face justly irritated against me, hide me in Thy Wounds, until Thy anger and just indignation shall have passed away. Amen

Twelfth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Mirror of Truth, symbol of unity, link of Charity, remember the multitude of wounds with which Thou was covered from head to foot, torn and reddened by the spilling of Thy adorable blood. O great and universal pain which Thou didst suffer in Thy virginal flesh for love of us! Sweetest Jesus! What is there that Thou couldst have done for us which Thou hast not done! May the fruit of Thy sufferings be renewed in my soul by the faithful remembrance of Thy passion, and may Thy love increase in my heart each day, until I see Thee in eternity, Thou Who art the treasury of every real good and every joy, which I beg Thee to grant me, O sweetest Jesus, in Heaven. Amen

Thirteenth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Strong Lion, Immortal and Invincible King, remember the pain which Thou didst endure when all Thy strength, both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted, Thou didst bow Thy head, saying: “It is consummated!”

Through this anguish and grief, I beg of Thee Lord Jesus, to have mercy on me at the hour of my death when my mind will be greatly troubled and my soul will be in anguish. Amen

Fourteenth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! Only Son of the Father, splendor and figure of His substance remember the simple and humble recommendation Thou didst make of Thy Soul to Thy Eternal Father, saying: “Father, into Thy Hands I commend My Spirit!” And with Thy body all torn, and Thy Heart broken, and the bowels of Thy mercy open to redeem us, Thou didst expire. By this precious death, I beg of Thee O King of Saints, comfort me and help me to resist the devil, the flesh and the world, so that being dead to the world I may live for Thee alone. I beg of Thee at the hour of my death to receive me, a pilgrim and an exile returning to Thee. Amen

Fifteenth Prayer
Our Father – Hail Mary.
O Jesus! True and fruitful Vine! Remember the abundant outpouring of Blood which Thou didst so generously shed from Thy Sacred Body as juice from grapes in a wine press.

From Thy Side, pierced with a lance by a soldier, blood and water issued forth until there was not left in Thy Body a single drop, and finally, like a bundle of myrrh lifted to the top of the Cross, Thy delicate flesh was destroyed, the very Substance of Thy Body withered, and the Marrow of Thy Bones dried up.

Through this bitter Passion and through the outpouring of Thy precious Blood, I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, to receive my soul when I am in my death agony. Amen

Conclusion

O Sweet Jesus! Pierce my heart so that my tears of penitence and love will be my bread day and night; may I be converted entirely to Thee, may my heart be Thy perpetual habitation, may my conversation be pleasing to Thee, and my the end of my life be so praiseworthy that I may merit Heaven and there with Thy saints, praise Thee forever. Amen